


Always Another Tomorrow

by Hammocker



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Anal Sex, Comfort Sex, Crying, Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mistakes, Post-Canon, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Vulnerability, bad choices, giant ants
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-15
Updated: 2016-08-15
Packaged: 2018-08-09 00:58:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7780759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hammocker/pseuds/Hammocker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Why did he do this to himself? Why did he get it in his head that he could do everything himself all the time? Why did he have to be so selfish?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Always Another Tomorrow

**Author's Note:**

> Don't have much to say about this one. I wrote it on a whim. It takes place a long while after Civil War and potentially even Infinity War, depending on how that goes. There's no spoilers except for vague allusions to past events. I just want it to be something after most of the bigger conflicts are resolved, but Tony's still struggling with himself.
> 
> I should probably also note that I haven't actually seen Ant-Man so if I get something wrong on that front, you should tell me and I'll see what I can do to fix it.

“Tony, take out the stragglers on your right, we’ll handle the queen,” Steve said through the comms.

It wasn’t every day that the Avengers fought giant ants, but today was one of those days. Lang had managed to do something stupid while he was shrunk down and left them all cleaning up an entire very big, very confused colony. “I can’t do anything,” Lang had said. “They’re in a frenzy,” he said. So many convenient excuses from that guy, Tony swore.

Fortunately, Tony had a plan of his own. They’d _finally_ managed to herd most of the colony away from the city and their queen was heading right for an rickety, abandoned storage silo in the middle of a disused field. If he brought it down at an angle, it would land right on her.

“I can take it out,” he replied, heading into position to carry out his idea.

“What? Don’t you dare, we have a plan!” Steve called at him.

Tony ignored him. He homed in on the remaining supports closest to the queen and hesitated as she scuttled farther and farther towards where he wanted her. He counted under his breath.

“Tony, stop!” Steve shouted to him.

Too late. He fired off two missiles and everything was a blur from there. They set off twin explosions, followed a sharp hiss and a fountain of dark, viscous fluids gushing out in all directions, including his own.

“Everyone scatter!” he heard Steve scream into the comms.

Tony made to pull up, but it was already too late. A wave of ant gore hit him and within the a second all of his systems were shutting down and he was falling, falling, falling...

*****

Tony must have passed out on impact with the ground. He woke up on the couch of one of the HQ’s rec rooms, alone and with the scent of death all around him. The sun filtering in through the windows indicated he’d slept right into the early evening. Great. There went his sleep schedule.

A sense of vulnerability set in as he remembered both what happened and realized why exactly he was alone. He’d screwed up, he hadn’t listened, he’d put everyone at risk, and now nobody wanted to deal with him. Again. Tony brought his hands up to his forehead as a lump formed in his throat. Why did he do this to himself? Why did he get it in his head that he could do everything himself all the time? Why did he have to be so selfish?

He forced himself to stand. What could he do now? He was feeling exposed and his first instinct was to find Steve. Steve wouldn’t want to see him just then, he knew, but he needed to see his boyfriend or something in him might break. Steve was the only one who’d ever cared enough to listen when he was trying to communicate regret and guilt and any emotion really. He was Tony’s best bet and he of all people deserved an apology anyway.

Tony made his way out of the room and into the hall. He wasn’t exactly sure where he was going, but maybe the meeting room would be a good place to start. With that in mind, he started on his way, dragging his feet. Sure, he wanted to see Steve, but at the same time, he kind of didn’t. Fate seemed to have made its mind up, though, as he rounded a corner and spotted Steve not far away. No going back.

“Steve!” he called, trailing after him.

No response, not even an acknowledgement of his presence. Maybe he just hadn’t noticed. Maybe.

“Steve, I’m really-”

“Not right now Tony,” Steve snapped at him, refusing to look back. “We only just got back from clean-up and I’m busy.”

“But I- You didn’t even give me the chance to help clean up?”

“I said not now!” he repeated, turning to give Tony a stern glare. “I have been trying to explain to the media why there were ant guts all over that field the entire afternoon and I don’t have time right now. For once, can’t you just listen to me?”

Tony stopped in his tracks. “I just- I was only trying to be...”

Before he could finish, Steve was well down the hallway with no signs of looking back.

“I’m sorry,” he choked out, stopping in the middle of the hall.

Tony suddenly felt crushingly alone and naked. The situation was a little too familiar. Go away, Tony, I’m busy. Look what you broke this time, Tony, can’t you do anything right? Bother someone else, Tony, I don’t have time for you. He felt his throat start to burn as the memories of his younger years assaulted him all at once.

It wasn’t like Steve was wrong. He was absolutely right to be angry. He was sweet and kind and good to Tony and Tony was- well, he was Tony. Dangerous. Unpredictable. Destructive, both to himself and everyone else. Tony didn’t have any right to complain when he’d fucked up. He didn’t have any right to feel this hurt when it was him who’d hurt everyone else again. He wasn’t any good unless he was working for everyone else’s benefit after all. And Steve didn’t deserve a boyfriend who was so volatile.

With no reason to do anything different, Tony turned and headed for his lab. He couldn’t cause any more harm in there and no one would have to deal with him. He’d just keep himself under wraps like he’d always done.

*****

Tony did try to keep himself under control, he really did. He stopped for a quick shower to get the corpse smell off of him and that helped his mood a little. Even if he did pass Sam and got a nasty look from him. That was fine. He didn’t blame Sam or anyone. It was his own fault.

From there, Tony hurried to his lab, hoping that some solitude and some time would make him feel better. He managed for several hours, keeping himself busy. His armor had been left in disarray for him and that was easy enough to clean. He made a mental note to thank whoever helped get it down the lab later. Every now and again, though, Steve’s words came back to him and he felt unwanted and useless once again. He really regretted letting Steve take all the booze out of his lab. In his distraction, he’d stripped a screw, botched a solder job, and pulled the wrong cylinder out of an engine he’d been working on. Each mistake only further drove him to misery and gave him the inclination to just start screaming his frustration to the soundproof walls around him. Finally, after managing to spill battery acid on his wrist, Tony did exactly that. For a good long minute, he shouted and yelled and shrieked at nothing. He screamed because he knew once he stopped, he would want to cry.

Tony couldn’t scream forever though. He had to stop to douse his burn.

Just as he had that thought, Butterfingers swiveled towards him, the basic solution he kept around for exactly these situations in his graspers. He gave a sympathetic croon, pushing the container towards Tony.

“Thanks, buddy,” he breathed, taking the stuff and grabbing a box of tissues.

Surely enough, his chest was tight and he could feel tears just behind his eyes all while held a base soaked tissue against his burn. God, was he pathetic. Screaming where no one could even hear him. He just couldn’t be there anymore. 

Once the pain was gone, Tony stood up, tossed the tissue, and headed out, leaving his tools where they lay. What was the point? He heard Dummy give an inquisitive whir as he exited, but he ignored it. It only made him feel more pathetic to think that his own robots were the only ones who gave a damn about him just then. And he didn’t even deserve that, really.

Tony made his way up to his and Steve’s room, seeking even a little security and familiarity. The sun had set since he’d woken up, leaving most of the building dim. He probably should have sprayed off once more, but he didn’t have the energy and just didn’t feel like it. Instead, he simply kicked off his shoes, pulled his oil-stained shirt over his head, and flopped down on their bed. He curled up into himself and pulled Steve’s pillow over so he could put his face against it. The warm, masculine scent of Steve was comforting, but in Tony’s fragile mindset, it also tightened the lump in his throat. It wasn’t really Steve after all. And who knew if Steve would want anything to do with him? He half-expected to be kicked out once Steve finally retired. That was fine. Tony could sleep on the couch and maybe just leave in the morning. For good this time.

The door clicked open and Tony tensed up. This was it. Steve was going to tell him to shove off and take his room back. He waited, not even breathing, as Steve pulled off his boots before approaching.

“Tony?” Steve said softly.

Tony didn’t respond; he didn’t know how he could or if he could without blubbering. All he knew was that the lump in his throat had migrated to his chest and everything felt tight and horrible and he was sweating bullets and he didn’t want to lose Steve, not after everything they’d been through.

“Tony, talk to me, please,” Steve said, edging onto the bed to lay next to him. “I missed you this evening.”

Tony twitched as he made one last effort to keep his emotions contained. Even after all of what he’d done, Steve had still missed him when he wasn’t there. Steve still put him before anything and everything that should have been more important than him. How was that even possible?

Steve reached out to touch Tony’s shoulder and that was it. Tony was wracked with a sob that he tried to smother in the pillow. Steve wasn’t fooled.

“Aw, Tony, c’mere,” he said before coaxing the pillow out of Tony’s arms and pulling him into his. Tony took right to it, pressing his face against Steve’s chest and making his best effort to hide amongst Steve’s form. He felt better already at least, safe in Steve’s arms, no longer afraid of being kicked out.

He couldn’t stop the tears, though, couldn’t stop himself from breaking down into a litany of sniffs and stifled wails and the occasional gasping breath. Tony was a mess and he knew it and he felt like it, but he needed to get all of the negativity out somehow. Crying all over his boyfriend just happened to be the most convenient method. Steve kept him in a tight, but not crushing hold, all while muttering sweet nothings to him. Tony could have kept on like that, just cried himself to sleep with Steve cradling him. Could have said so much just wordlessly expressing his remorse. Still, there was so much more he needed to say, even if he made himself look like an idiot.

“I’m- I’m sorry,” he said, hiccuping as he tried to control himself. “I’m a liability, I can’t do anything right, I screw up everything I touch, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

“Oh, Tony,” Steve sighed, stroking down his back. “Tony, sweetheart, you know that’s not true.”

“No, no, I don’t, don’t tell me what I know.” Tony pushed his forehead hard up against Steve’s chest in a weak show of defiance. 

“Well, I know it’s not true,” Steve said. The sheer certainty behind his words tore a sob from Tony. “You should have listened to me, but I shouldn’t have yelled at you either. We both made bad decisions and neither of us have had the best day here.”

“You didn’t cause mass collateral damage,” Tony mumbled.

“If Lang hadn’t messed with his equipment, we wouldn’t have had to go out at all,” Steve said with a gentle laugh. “Blaming isn’t gonna help anything, we both know that.”

“Yeah,” Tony said, sniffing as his tears finally let up and left him feeling disgusting. “Guess I would know about that.”

“I just want you to do better next time,” Steve said, resting a warm hand on the back of Tony’s neck, where his now damp hair was sticking to his neck. “And I know you can. You’ve been doing better. When you listen you do great. Heck, sometimes even when you don’t listen, you do great, but it’s not a reliable way of tackling problems.”

“I know it’s not,” Tony groaned. “I don’t know why I do it, I just get the idea in my head one minute and the next I’m doing it. This is why I stopped field work.”

“We wouldn’t be the Avengers without you, Tony.”

“Maybe I should just stay in for a while anyway,” Tony mumbled. “Lay low while everyone forgets.”

“It’s up to you. But, just so you know, things are more fun when you’re with us. Everyone cares about you.”

Tony snorted, rolling his eyes and shaking his head as best he could. 

“No, really. We’re all family here.”

“And I guess I’m just the problem child looking for attention, like always.”

Steve gave a long pause before speaking again. “Is that what’s bothering you?”

“What? Being a problem child?”

“Being ignored.”

“No,” Tony said, forcing a laugh. “Why would it? I mean, I get plenty of attention, parties and conventions-”

“That’s not what I mean and you know it,” Steve broke in. “You don’t get hugged there, you don’t real, you know, love. True, honest love. From people who are supposed to love you.”

“Mom hugged me,” Tony mumbled.

“But not Howard. Or Obadiah.”

“I’m used to it,” Tony said, wincing at his father’s name. “It’s not a problem.”

“Are you sure?” Steve pushed.

“Yeah. Sort of,” Tony said, even as his words rang hollow. “Okay, maybe that was a problem when it came to Howard or Obadiah or even Pepper, but it’s not a problem with you. You don’t ignore me, you don’t push me aside, you don’t tell me I’m not wanted.”

“Except when I do,” Steve said slowly, shifting back to get a better view of Tony. He was frowning, concerned and maybe even ashamed. Tony made an effort not to look at him.

“Yeah. Maybe I was a little bothered, but that’s not fair. I mean, people get annoyed, especially with me around, and I can’t blame you for snapping every now and then.”

“God, I’m sorry, Tony,” Steve said, utterly guileless. Had he even heard what Tony said? “I didn’t know and I wasn’t thinking about you. I shouldn’t have yelled and I shouldn’t have ignored you. Wasn’t fair of me.”

“No, no, it’s okay. It’s okay,” Tony insisted, giving him a hopeful smile. “We’re here now and no one’s hurt and we’re fine and we’re still in bed together so it’s all okay.”

Steve stared at him with that same concern for a moment before one side of his mouth peaked up in a half-smile. What was he so happy about?

“Yeah. Yeah, it is,” he agreed, nodding like nothing had ever been wrong.

Oh. Oh. Well played, Steve.

“You bastard. I don’t solve problems, I cause them, you know that.”

“I’m very proud of you,” Steve said before leaning down to kiss Tony on the top of the head and down to his cheeks, despite the tear trails staining them.

Tony grumbled and scrambled up to bring his lips to Steve’s. How he managed to fit in smarts with all the sweetness in him was beyond Tony, but he wasn’t complaining. Steve returned the kiss eagerly, even as he continued to beam. 

As they kissed, Tony couldn’t help but feel an erection start to take form. Just rubbing up against Steve and being surrounded by his scent was enough to get him horny and it would have been naive to think he wouldn’t have this reaction. He whimpered and pressed his groin up against Steve’s.

Steve chuckled at the sudden advance and reached down to grip at Tony’s ass, reciprocating his movements. Tony leaned back and groaned, silently demanding for Steve to go further.

“You’re awful predictable, you-”

It was then that Steve caught sight of the burn on Tony’s wrist and stopped in his tracks.

“What happened?” he asked, brow furrowed.

Tony followed his eyes and gave a cautious laugh. “Just some acid, not my first chemical burn.”

“Just acid?”

“Yeah,” Tony said, shrugging. “Work hazard.”

“You should get it looked at,” Steve said through his teeth.

“Steve, I know how to treat these things, I’m fine. And I mean it this time.”

“I believe you Tony, but it’s never a bad thing to get help if you’re hurting.”

Tony hesitated for a second at that. Steve wasn’t just talking about physical pain. He meant any pain. That was still a new thing for Tony, having someone who he could talk to and be with and never be judged by if he wasn’t in a good way. Someone who wouldn’t leave when he was in real need. That fact hit him hard just then, though, he wasn’t sure how to express his gratitude. Maybe he should just avoid it for the time being.

“Oh, I know,” Tony said, rubbing his groin against Steve’s. “I could really use yours right now, actually, or I might be in more pain very soon.”

Steve rolled his eyes, but the playful smirk returned. “Always has to come back to sex, doesn’t it?”

“You know me, when I want something, one-track mind.”

“Well, what about what I want?” Steve asked, raising his brow. “Maybe I’d rather just kiss and cuddle and go to sleep. Save the sex for the morning.”

“Don’t try to play this game with me, Rogers, you know I can break you no problem.”

“Break me?” Steve repeated with a snort. “I’ve gotten through a war, an alien invasion, a fascist hostile takeover, and who knows what else. What are you gonna do?”

Tony blinked slowly at Steve before squirming out of his grip. If that’s how Steve was going to be, then Tony had a point to prove.

He reached down and unzipped Steve’s jeans, never once breaking eye contact. Steve folded one arm over the other and met his eyes with an expectant stare. It was a silent battle of nerve, but Tony knew he could and would win out. He freed Steve’s cock from its confines and found it already half-hard and responsive. Steve let out a puff of air as Tony touched him, a sound that did not go unnoticed. Only then did Tony break eye contact as he leaned down to tease the head with his tongue.

He felt Steve tense up and exhale once more, but he continued his efforts to remain stoic. Tony brought his lips onto Steve, keeping the contact slight and subtle. Steve had called him predictable and maybe he could be, but he was determined to give him a jolt. So after a moment of kitten licks and suckling, Tony took in a deep breath and swallowed Steve to the hilt.

The play worked as Steve let out a yelp, and, even as the head bumped the back of Tony’s throat, Steve bucked in an effort to get deeper. The pressure was a bit too much, forcing Tony to pull back almost immediately, but Steve’s demeanor was broken. One of his hands came down to grip Tony’s scalp, forcing him down once more. Tony braced himself, though, Steve never pushed farther than he’d initially gone. He just held Tony there for a moment, letting out a sigh as he savored the feeling. Tony wasn’t above appreciating it himself; the control Steve was exerting over him was keeping him hard by itself. For Tony’s money, there was no greater turn-on than an aggressive super soldier asserting his dominance in bed.

The face fucking didn’t last too long, though, as Steve pulled him off of his dick and back up towards the head of the bed for another kiss. It was less tender and sweet, more sloppy and lustful. Steve wasn’t making any point beyond “I want you”, and that was perfectly fine with Tony. He wanted Steve just as much.

Steve grabbed Tony by the middle and flipped the two of them over after a moment, continuing the kiss all the while. When he finally did pull away it was reluctant and only to lean over and grab lube from the bedside table drawer. Tony let out an antsy whine in the meantime and reached down to loose his pants. Immediately, Steve was back to slap his hands away and do the job himself, unzipping and shoving his jeans down and off along with his briefs. Tony hissed as his skin hit open air and dug his fingers into the bed sheets.

As he coated his fingers, Steve gazed down at him with a mixture of lust, affection, and maybe even fascination. He was looking at Tony like he was the center of the world and absolutely nothing could come between them. It was another one of those things that Tony didn’t think he’d ever get used to, one of those feelings he hadn’t been given in a long time. All he could do was make an effort to return the favor with his own stare.

Steve gripped one of Tony’s legs and brought it up over his shoulder, giving him room to press a blunt finger to Tony’s entrance. Tony let his head loll back as he willfully relaxed and sighed as he was penetrated. It was still an alien sensation, even after so long of being with Steve, and yet it was familiar and warm at the same time. They didn’t need to spend much time on preparation anymore, but Tony wouldn’t have protested Steve taking his time fingering him open. If he didn’t know how good what came next was, Tony would have never wanted to stop.

Steve seemed eager to move along, however, as two more fingers quickly joined the first. His jaw fell open as his muscles stretched to accommodate the fit. It still surprised him, how well he could take it even at his age. Steve wasn’t a small fry either, no matter where you measured him. Not to say he didn’t enjoy it. The feeling had gone from new and different and unwelcome to familiar and even craved. Tony couldn’t thank Steve enough for that.

He whined as Steve worked his fingers back out. That was the one unpleasant part about the whole penetration thing; being done and having to separate. Fortunately, Steve wasn’t anywhere close to being finished and repositioned himself again to line them up.

“Hurry, hurry, hurry…” Tony repeated under his breath.

Steve gave his ass a light swat and smiled up at him.

“I’ve got you,” he assured Tony. “Trust me.”

Tony did, he really did, but he was as impatient as ever.

Steve took a moment prodding Tony’s asshole with the head of his cock, just barely penetrating him. He didn’t need to; Tony could take him all in one go just fine. Well, more or less. Steve was still huge and it was never effortless, but Tony wasn’t in the mood for pussyfooting.

“Steve,” Tony whined. “Steve, please, I know you can go deeper, you know you can.”

“I do know,” Steve said. “I can’t take my time every now and then?”

“Not today, sweetheart,” Tony said, letting his head tip back.

“Needy,” Steve drawled. With that, he buried himself to the hilt.

Tony’s eyes rolled back and he let out a hitched moan.

“Yeah, yeah, definitely need you, very needy,” he chattered, barely aware of what he was saying.

“Need you too, Tony,” Steve said, leaning forward to give his forehead a lopsided kiss.

Tony would have laughed once more if Steve hadn’t started to move right then. His throat tightened for a split second before a groan escaped it. He didn’t think he’d ever get used to having Steve in him like this. He wouldn’t have trusted anyone else to take him like this and he’d barely trusted Steve at first. Sure, he’d built up a playboy reputation in earlier years, but the idea of being penetrated had always made him feel too vulnerable to try. Fortunately, Steve was good at easing his uncertainties.

He didn’t regret taking that plunge with Steve at least. It still struck him odd, how good having Steve in him felt, but how could he complain? Steve beared down on him, setting a comfortable, even lazy pace. It was cozy and pleasurable and having Steve all around him reinforced Tony’s sense of security. He could have just lain there and relaxed for hours, if only the desire for release wasn’t creeping closer and closer. He would have liked to just lay there and watch Steve, feel him, take in his scent. But, of course, Tony always had had trouble stopping and smelling the roses.

He reached up and wrapped his arms around Steve, clinging to and practically hanging off of him. Steve didn’t even flinch against his weight.

“More, I can take more, want more, please,” Tony babbled, fighting to keep his composure.

Steve grunted in acknowledgement before rearing up and bringing Tony with him. Tony yelped and tightened his grip, not fazing Steve in the slightest. He just held Tony there and kept up his thrusts, lifting Tony up into the air and letting him down back onto his dick more than he moved his own hip. Still, the pace was sharper and Steve was striking his prostate more intently. Tony could hardly keep himself from scratching up Steve’s back, from trying to mitigate the unfiltered pleasure running through his belly. It almost hurt, how good it felt, cock trapped between them with little chance for direct stimulation. Steve took pride in pushing Tony to come untouched, Tony knew, even if Steve wouldn’t readily admit it. That was the goal here, no doubts in Tony’s mind.

Just as quickly as Tony determined Steve’s intent, Tony realized that he was on a fast-track to achieving it. With a jolt through his belly down to his balls, Tony came hard, gripping Steve for dear life. Steve let him down easy as he rode it out in bliss, eyes flickering open and shut, barely aware of what was even happening.

As he was laid back on the bed, slowly regaining his vision, Tony turned his head up towards Steve’s face. There was that smile, that glowing grin that said “I did it, I made him go off with my dick in his ass.” Tony might have been indignant with anyone else, but with Steve, he could only return a tired smile.

It only took a moment for Steve to follow-up with his own climax, face contorting as Tony felt him spill deep inside. He let out a groan at the sensation, but took it with a practiced ease. For a moment, Steve stayed where he was as his erection died down, as much as it ever did after only one orgasm.

“Do you want me to...?” Tony started, glancing down at Steve’s groin.

“Not tonight,” Steve said, shaking his head and leaning down to take Tony back into his arms.

He turned them around and laid back on the bed so Tony could lay on top of his chest. Tony accepted the closeness once more, but his posture was more relaxed this time around. One arm wrapped partially around back of Steve’s neck while the other rested across the sheets.

“Love you, Tony,” Steve whispered to him, brushing a misplaced lock of away from his face. “Every part of you.”

Tony would have laughed if he’d had the energy. All he could do was grin like the idiot he was. Steve was too damn sweet. Too nice for him. But then, Tony would have killed without hesitation to keep Steve safe and at his side.

“Love you too,” he said, words muffled slightly against Steve’s chest.

Tony’s eyes drooped as Steve lazily stroked down from his scalp to his back. It was kinda funny. He wouldn’t have let anyone else touch his scalp and his hair or even pet him like Steve did at all, hadn’t even thought about it before they’d met. Turns out, that sensitivity had been more a symptom of a larger issue than a real idiosyncrasy of his. Before Steve, Tony had always thought that hiding his emotions and his vulnerabilities was best for him and everyone else. It was easier and safer for him to act flippant and aloof and not let anyone too close. He was in the wrong to be vulnerable, to be emotional. He existed to serve and work in the benefit of everyone around him, and anything less was him being selfish.

Then he’d met Steve. They’d gotten on each other’s nerves and Tony couldn’t help but be emotional around him. Anger and frustration had turned into friendship and then more frustration and animosity before finally mutual love. Tony had been tentative at first, but once he’d learned that it was okay to be vulnerable around Steve, he’d never been happier. Steve let him cry in his arms, let him be angry and upset, let him be himself. He was always there to offer comfort when Tony needed it. Tony reciprocated where necessary, but he wasn’t sure if Steve was reliant on him like he was reliant on Steve. Tony didn’t know what he’d do without Steve.

Tony glanced up at Steve and was met with sleepy, tender eyes looking right back at him. He felt like he needed to say something, but he didn’t want to break the moment. Steve said so much with just the way he looked at Tony after all, so maybe Tony was doing the same. He hoped he was.

“You’re gorgeous, Tony,” Steve said after a long moment. His words were simple enough, but something told Tony that he meant more than just that.

“Yeah, well, you are too,” Tony said.

His mistakes, his neediness, his awful, pathetic crying, none of it was so overwhelming anymore. It all seemed so manageable now, so small and easily fixed. Of course everything was going to be fine and of course Tony could do better; Steve was with him, so why wouldn’t he?

With that thought, Tony let his head dip back against Steve’s chest and shut his eyes. A lazy smile tugged at his lips and, if only for the moment, he was feeling pretty good about himself.


End file.
